The latest edition of the Olympic Games has drawn to a close. It was another great event with USA taking top honours yet again. In the last two decades in Olympic history, USA, China and Russia have consistently finished in the top five, with USA topping the chart every time barring in 2008, when hosts China won most gold medals.
There were 39 disciplines in Rio, with sub categories. A total of 307 gold medals were presented, indicating the number of events players could participate in. While the USA (46 gold), GBR (27) and China (26) won 121, 67 and 70 medals, respectively, India managed two.
Is this what we expect from a country of 1.3 billion? Clearly not. Do we have talent? Of course yes.
Nurturing the talent
India needs to identify talent at a young age, give them the right infrastructure and facilities and develop them into world-class athletes. The country can’t expect athletes to spend out of their own pocket. Neither can we leave it to corporates to sponsor players. If an athlete wins an Olympic medal, it’s a matter of pride for the nation. Hence, there must be investment in world class facilities and developing athletes. It’s time the government took steps to improve facilities across the country and manage talent at the grassroots. Preparation for the biggest event needs to begin years in advance.
Innovate & collaborate
We must try and test innovative methods so that the country can consistently produce Olympic champions. There has to be a structure that looks after every Olympic sport. The country has enough people who can shine in different sports, if given the right support. I’m not sure how many in India know that canoeing, rhythmic gymnastics and cycling BMX are part of the Olympics. Lack of awareness needs to be addressed first. It should start at the school level. As early as Standard 8 or at least by Standard 10, a student excelling in a sport should be encouraged to pursue that. If computer science and biology can be electives in higher secondary, why can’t sport be an integral part of the curriculum?
The education system need not force people into sport but it can encourage athletes, who want to take it up as a career. Progress in sport can be evaluated and marks given. This way, parents will gain confidence if their children want to pursue sport over other subjects. This will bring about a cultural change and encourage more people to take up sport as a career. People will then begin to look beyond cricket as a sporting career.
The athletes should then be eligible for colleges based on their performance in sport and eventually be able to land jobs in government or corporate sectors. Media too have to play their part and glorify athletes more at the entry level. Creating the right ethos and providing essential infrastructure will go a long way in making India a super power in sport.
Together we succeed
Support needs to come from all quarters — children, parents, educational institutions and most important, the government. Once facilities are in place, athletes would be encouraged to try out new sport. Since everything cannot change overnight, the government can start by selecting top athletes from the current batch and help them get better training facilities abroad. Investing in foreign coaches will also be a step in the right direction. Simultaneously, facilities in India should improve and structural changes in the system must take place.
Return on investment
It will take India a few decades to produce Olympic champions consistently, depending on the time it takes for things to fall in place. But now is a good time to begin, so that we can at least win medals on each day of the Olympics and not just a few in total. Jai Hind!
(The writer, an engineer and a management graduate, is a banker in the Middle East and passionate about sports)